Pedicure salons are well known and are frequented predominantly by women. In warm weather, it is commonplace for the procurer of a pedicure to arrive at the pedicure salon in open toe sandals which can be easily removed or remain on the user during the pedicure. When the pedicure is completed, there is often a period of time, typically up to one hour in which the polish applied to the toes must have ample time to dry.
Accordingly, it is commonplace for the procurer of a pedicure to arrive at a pedicure salon in open toe sandals. The sandals may be removed during the pedicure and then placed again on the feet after the pedicure is completed without adversely affecting the nail polish applied to the toes. The user can then wear the open toe sandals when leaving the pedicure salon even if the nail polish is not completely dry because the toes and particularly the nail polish applied thereto do not come into contact with any portion of the open toe sandals. This system works well in warm temperatures and under good weather conditions.
However, when the outside temperature decreases (e.g. from early to mid-Fall through early-Spring and particularly during the Winter) or during inclement weather such as rain or snow the use of an open toe sandal especially after leaving a pedicure salon is problematical. Once the pedicure is completed, the user must remain in the pedicure salon until the nail polish is completely dry which can take up to an hour. Because the open toe sandal provides no protection against cold or inclement weather, any attempt to leave the pedicure salon with an open toe sandal can result in significant discomfort to the user and can adversely affect the pedicure itself. Exposure to cold becomes very uncomfortable for the user and may even expose the user to a chill resulting in sickness because of the complete exposure of the lower portion of the foot that takes place when wearing open toe sandals.
Examples of pedicure sandals are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,751,693; 5,946,823; and 6,678,971. Each of these pedicure sandals show significant exposure of the foot in order to allow the polished toes ample opportunity to dry. In each case, not only are the toes exposed, but a substantial part of the foot and upper ankle are exposed to the elements as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,823 shows a pedicure sandal system in which the toes are protected by a removable cover assembly that can slip over the forward end of the sandal and is completely removable therefrom. A problem with pedicure sandal systems of this type is that the cover assembly must be completely removed to expose the toes and therefore forms an entirely separate unit from the sandal itself. Thus, there is always the possibility of losing or misplacing the toe cover assembly rendering the sandal useless for protecting the toes.
It would be a significant advance in the art of pedicure systems to provide a pedicure boot which minimizes exposure of the toes after completion of the pedicure and provides protection to the user, particularly when having to leave pedicure salons in cold or inclement weather.
It would be a further advance in the art of pedicure systems to provide a pedicure boot in which exposure of the toes can be occasioned by adjusting the forward end of the boot in a manner which does not cause complete detachment of the forward end such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,823.